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Ground Level Blog

Musing in Florida about Baldwin and Princeton

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In Florida in the dead of winter you'd expect Minnesota to be the last thing on the mind of Greg Lonsky of Princeton. But he began thinking about Baldwin Township and Princeton after picking up a local paper, The Naples News, and finding this article.

In the opinion piece, Michael V. Reagen (President and CEO, Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce) urges residents of Florida's Collier County to look past the hardships caused by the current recession and see it for its possibilities.

"Now is the time to dream, to plan and recreate our local economy," he writes.

This inspired Greg because he saw the struggles of Collier County mirrored in Princeton and Baldwin.

"We are not alone in this battle to make our community (that includes all the associated townships and counties) sustainable and long lasting," Greg writes.

Perhaps working together both communities can find greater success.

Greg thinks this collective community needs to:

• increase its visibility.

• market its location.

• market its services.

• draw new business to town to increase employment, which will increase the tax base.

• stop in-fighting between city services and offices and township growth.

• encourage people to spend locally.

Greg was once part of a Princeton group of business people that were working to reinvigorate Princeton, Baldwin and other surrounding townships and counties, much like the one described in the Naples story. While that group eventually disbanded, Greg advocates working together now as they did in the past.

"I think we should start the process all over and do what is necessary, regardless of turf and ownership. If, and that's a big if, we don't work together, we will sink. And then the real finger pointing starts," Greg writes.

"It doesn't make a difference which side of the political fence one is on; this is for everyone."